Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Tri-Tip - Brisket Style

This was a Tri-tip I cooked "brisket style" on my smoker about a month ago. What's a "Tri-Tip"? you may ask...

From wikipedia:

The tri-tip is a cut of beef from the bottom primal cut. It is a small triangular muscle, usually 1.5 to 2.5 lbs. (675 to 1,150g) per side of beef.

In the United States, this cut was typically used for ground beef or sliced into steaks until the late 1950s, when it became a local specialty in San Luis Obispo, California, rubbed with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and other seasonings, cooked over red oak wood and roasted whole on a rotisserie, smoked in a pit, baked in an oven, grilled, or braised by putting a pot on top of a grill, browning the meat directly on the grill surface before and after the braising. (The tri-tip is still often labeled the "Santa Maria steak".) Most popular in the Central Coast o California and Central Valley regions of California,it has begun to enjoy increasing popularity elsewhere for its full flavor, lower fat content, and comparatively lower cost.

I rubbed this with spices and brown sugar. Then it was cooked Low and Slow on the PG1000. I cooked it at 200 degrees for about 4 hours then increased to 250 until an internal temp of 195. I then foiled it and put it in a warmed cooler to rest for about an hour. I then pulled it unwrapped and sliced. Result = juicy yummy-ness.

So... if you're from California don't be offended by my treatment of this Tri-tip... there's more than one way to cook a tip...